Apparatus and method for producing draperies

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method are provided for simultaneously feeding one or more rolls of material into a sewing and cutting system. In one embodiment, the material is cut into predetermined lengths of cloth and during processing, each side of the cloth is hemmed automatically. The system of the present invention is particularly well suited to producing draperies and other similar fabric products.

[0001] The present application is a continuation in part application ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/111,217 filed on Jul. 7, 1998, whichis a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,191 filed on Nov. 12, 1996,which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,940 filed on May 27,1994.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producingfinished sewn products from a roll of cloth. The method and apparatuspertains to cutting predetermined lengths of fabric from a large roll offabric and then performing various sewing operations on the fabric toproduce articles such as lined drapes, sheets, valances, etc. Moreparticularly, the present invention is directed to a method andapparatus that automatically feeds two or more rolls of materialtogether while maintaining the layers of material in alignment.

[0003] Heretofore, one of the major expenses in producing sewn productswas cutting lengths of fabric to precise lengths and then sewing foldedhems on the edge of the fabric prior to performing additional sewingoperations. Another major concern has been the ability to feed a facefabric and a liner into a sewing operation at constant tensions so thatthe two fabrics stay in alignment with respect to each other. Such hasbeen time consuming and labor intensive adding considerable cost to thefinished products.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is a principal object of the present invention to provide amethod and apparatus for efficiently cutting fabric into predeterminedlengths and automatically performing sewing operations thereon.

[0005] Another important object of the present invention is to provide amethod and apparatus for automatically cutting fabric from a large rolland then automatically folding the edges of the fabric. The folded edgesare then sewn into hems, and the fabric is transported to a foldingstation. After the fabric has been folded at the folding station, it isthen transported to another sewing station for performing sewingoperations thereon.

[0006] Still another important object of the present invention is toprovide an efficient and automatic system for folding and sewing sheetmaterial.

[0007] Still another important object of the present invention is toprovide an efficient method and apparatus for automatically producingsewn valances from a roll of cloth.

[0008] Still another important object of the present invention is toprovide an apparatus and method for automatically producing hemmedfabric for subsequent manufacture into drapes and the like.

[0009] Still another important object of the present invention is toprovide a method and apparatus for cutting fabric in predeterminedlengths, folding the edges of the fabric to produce precise hems andthen transporting said fabric to a receiver.

[0010] A further object of the present invention is to provide a methodand apparatus for precisely folding fabric of a predetermined lengthinto a desired folded pattern for subsequent sewing.

[0011] Still another important object of the invention is to provide amethod and apparatus for automatically sewing sockets and pockets into afolded fabric to produce valances.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a methodand apparatus for automatically feeding two or more rolls of materialtogether into a fabric processing system while maintaining the layers ofmaterial in alignment.

[0013] It is another object of the present invention to provide a methodand an improved hemmed product in which the liner fabric is narrowerthan the face fabric for making the subsequently formed hems less thickand for improving the final appearance of the sewn product.

[0014] Additional objects of the invention will be set forth in part inthe description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectsand advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means ofthe instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

[0015] To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of theinvention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the apparatus ofthe present invention comprises a let off device which carries a largeroll of fabric that is to be used for producing the finished product.The fabric is unwound by the let off device which is under the controlof a dancer so as to maintain uniform tension in the fabric as it leavesthe let off device. The open fabric then passes under a pair of spacededge cutters which trim opposed edges of the fabric to a predeterminedwidth.

[0016] After the fabric has been trimmed, the edges of the fabric arefolded in by a hem forming and hem width control device. The folded edgeof the fabric is maintained at a precise location by means of aphotoelectric sensor and a hem shifting device. The photoelectric sensorincludes a pair of laterally spaced photosensors which generate signalsindicating when the edge of the fabric is at the precise location inbetween the two photodetectors. The photodetectors in turn control thehem shifting device to keep the edge of the hem properly aligned. Afterthe hem has been folded onto the edges of the open cloth, the hem thenpasses through a curling device which curls the outer edge of the hemunder so as to produce a double layer hem. This curl portion is thenpassed under a sewing head which advances the cloth and sews the heminto the edges of the fabric. The fabric is then fed into an accumulatorwhich accumulates a predetermined length of fabric.

[0017] Following the accumulator is a length cutter which makes atransverse cut across the fabric to cut the fabric into predeterminedlengths.

[0018] In order to cut the fabric into predetermined lengths, a clothpuller moves from the downstream end of the machine to adjacent thecutting head for gripping the edge of the fabric in order to pull thefabric from the accumulator when the cloth puller is moved back towardsthe downstream end of the machine. After the cloth puller pulls thecloth back towards the end of the machine, a predetermined length ofcloth rests on a folding table and is ready for being folded into adesired pattern. In one particular embodiment, the apparatus is used formaking valances. At the folding table it is desired to fold the openfabric so that it can be subsequently sewed with elongated stitching toproduce the final product.

[0019] In order to fold the open length of fabric on the folding table,a pair of spaced dies are lowered down on top of the fabric. The diesare spaced a distance that corresponds to the ultimate width of thevalance.

[0020] Once the dies are lowered onto the fabric carried on the foldingtable, the cloth puller which is still gripping the leading edge of thefabric is moved back towards the front end of the machine, folding thefabric over a first die. It then releases the leading edge of the clothand moves back adjacent the end of the machine. The trailing edge of thecut cloth is then folded up over the second die and overlaps the edge ofthe cloth that was previously folded.

[0021] The cloth in this folded position is then transported to a sewingstation wherein two sewing heads are provided for sewing a pair ofelongated spaced stitching so as to form a socket in the folded fabricfor receiving a curtain rod as well as a pocket in the fabric. Thiscompletes the construction of the valance.

[0022] The apparatus and machine can also be used for producing lineddraperies or other lined products. When being used to produce lineddraperies, a second roll of fabric is carried on a second let off abovethe first let off which carries the facing layer of fabric. The fabricsare superimposed on each other under uniform tension. The superimposedliner and facing are then passed through the cutting and hem formingdevice as described above. The cloth puller is used for pulling the sewnliner and facing from an accumulator so that they can be cut to adesired length.

[0023] The folding operation discussed above takes place in a similarbut wider spaced configuration when producing lined draperies.

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in andconstitute a part of this specification, illustrate the embodiments ofthe invention and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciple of the invention.

[0025] It is to be understood that the invention is made up of aplurality of various elements. It is understood of course thatequivalent components could be substituted for the elements shown in thedrawings and described hereto in the specification without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a portion of amachine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a cutting headused for cutting the edge of a fabric.

[0028]FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating an edgefolding and positioning device.

[0029]FIG. 4 is an end view of the edge aligning and locating device.

[0030]FIG. 5 is an elevational view illustrating one of the sewingmachines used for sewing the hem on one side of the fabric.

[0031]FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the curl and double foldedhem produced on the edge of the fabric.

[0032]FIG. 7 is an elevational view illustrating a sewing headpositioned on the opposite side of the fabric from the sewing head ofFIG. 5.

[0033]FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating one of thesewing heads used for sewing the hems into the fabric.

[0034]FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment ofthe sewing head of FIG. 8.

[0035]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a movable cutter which is usedfor cutting the cloth into predetermined lengths.

[0036]FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the cutterhead from part of the cutter of FIG. 10.

[0037]FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a movable gripping headcarried on the cloth puller shown in more detail in FIG. 21.

[0038]FIG. 13 is an end view partially in section illustrating a portionof the folding table and the cloth pulling mechanism.

[0039]FIG. 14 is an end view illustrating the cloth pulling mechanism ina position immediately prior to gripping the end of the cloth.

[0040]FIG. 15 is an end view partially in section of the cloth pullingmechanism gripping the cloth.

[0041]FIG. 16 is an end view of the cloth pulling mechanism after thecloth has been pulled back over the folding table.

[0042]FIG. 17 is an end view of the cloth pulling mechanism and thefolding table showing the dies being placed down on the cloth.

[0043]FIG. 18 is an end view illustrating the folding table and thefirst fold of the fabric forming a folded valance.

[0044]FIG. 19 is an end view illustrating a folding table illustratingthe trailing edge of the fabric being folded into a valance.

[0045]FIG. 20 illustrates an end view of the folding table showing thefabric in a folded condition immediately prior to being transported to asewing mechanism.

[0046]FIG. 21 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating aportion of the cloth pulling device.

[0047]FIG. 22 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a pair ofdies used for holding the cloth down on the folding table during thefolding operation.

[0048]FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a gripping devicefor gripping and retaining the cloth prior to the cloth being cut intopredetermined lengths.

[0049]FIG. 24 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the foldedcloth on the folding table prior to sewing.

[0050]FIG. 25 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating part of thecloth processing apparatus.

[0051]FIG. 26 is a plan view illustrating a final sewing station forsewing valances.

[0052]FIG. 27 is a perspective view illustrating a valance that was sewnautomatically on the apparatus of the present invention.

[0053]FIG. 28 is a perspective view with parts broken away for thepurpose of clarity illustrating a sewn valance.

[0054]FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a prior art hemmed face fabricand liner.

[0055]FIG. 30 is a perspective view with parts broken away for thepurpose of clarity illustrating a hemmed face fabric and liner.

[0056]FIG. 31 is a perspective view of an apparatus for simultaneouslyfeeding a face fabric and a liner into a fabric processing system.

[0057]FIG. 32 is a side view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 31.

[0058]FIG. 33 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a torquesupplying device that is used in conjunction with a roll let-off.

[0059]FIG. 34 is a plan view of a face fabric and a liner wherein theliner is narrower than the face fabric.

[0060]FIG. 35 is a side view of a prior art double folded hem includinga face fabric and a liner.

[0061]FIG. 36 is a side view of a double folded hem including a linerthat is narrower than the face fabric.

[0062]FIGS. 37A through 37E further illustrate a further embodiment of asystem for producing draperies in accordance with the present invention.

[0063]FIGS. 38A through 38E are side views of a positioning table usedin the system illustrated in FIG. 37A and showing a predetermined lengthof fabric being positioned on the table for further processing.

[0064]FIG. 39 is a perspective view of a rack and pinion system used tovary the width of the table illustrated in FIG. 38A.

[0065]FIGS. 40A and 40B are perspective views of an edge folder used inthe system illustrated in FIG. 37A.

[0066]FIG. 40C is a perspective view of a hem forming device used in thesystem illustrated in FIG. 37A.

[0067]FIG. 40D is a perspective view of a transition plate that can beused with the hem forming device illustrated in FIG. 40C.

[0068]FIG. 40E is a perspective view of a blower that can be used withthe table illustrated in FIGS. 38 and 39.

[0069]FIG. 41 is a partial perspective view of a sewing head designed tosew hems of products produced on the system illustrated in FIG. 37A.

[0070]FIGS. 42A through 42E are perspective views of a trailing threadcutter used in the system illustrated in FIG. 37A.

[0071]FIG. 43 is a perspective view of the thread cutter illustrated inFIGS. 42A through 42E.

[0072]FIG. 44 is a partial perspective view of an edge folder, a Tablingdevice, a pair of sewing heads, and a trailing thread cutter for use inthe system illustrated in FIG. 37A.

[0073] Repeat use of reference characters in the present specificationand drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features orelements of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0074] Referring in more detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a sideelevational view of the machine which is provided for hemming andcutting predetermined lengths of material from a large roll of material10. The large roll of material 10 is carried on a let off A. The let offA includes a pair of idle rollers 14 and 16 which permit the roll 10 ofcloth to be rotated when it is pulled by a power driven roll 18 whichhas a friction covering thereon. The power driven roll 18 is driven byan electric motor 20. The motor is a variable speed driven motor whichis under control of a dancer roll 22. The dancer roll 22 is permitted tomove up and down responsive to variations in tension in the clothextending therearound. As the dancer roll 22 moves up and down, itvaries the adjustment on a potentiometer that in turn varies the voltageapplied to the motor drive board for varying the let off speed for thecloth. The cloth 24 is then fed from the let off A up over a guide roll26 onto a sewing table 28. As the cloth enters the sewing table, itfirst passes through an edge cutting device B. There are two edgecutters B spaced on opposite sides of the table so as to cut the clothto a predetermined width. The cloth then moves under an edge folding andpositioning station C which forms a fold of a predetermined width in theedge of the cloth. This occurs on one or both sides of the cloth.

[0075] From the edge folding and positioning station C, the cloth isthen fed to a hem folding mechanism D which folds the hem into a doublefold. From the hem folder D, the cloth is then fed under to a hem sewinghead and cloth advancer E for sewing the hem into the edge of the cloth.

[0076] The cloth is fed from the hem sewing head and cloth advancer Einto an accumulator F which accumulates a cloth reserve. The clothpasses around an adjustable tension roll 30 provided in the accumulatorand from the roll 30 proceeds up onto a cutting table.

[0077] Provided on the cutting table is a length cutter G which cuts thecloth from one side to the other.

[0078] The particular length of cloth that is cut at this point iscontrolled by a cloth puller H. To explain the operation to this pointwe will take up from the point where the cloth was previously cut. As aresult, there is a leading edge of cloth 24 directly under where thetransverse cutter blade severed the cloth.

[0079] The cloth puller H is brought up from the end of the machine intoengagement with the leading edge of the cloth 24 directly under the pathof the cutting blade. The cloth puller H then grips the edge of thecloth and pulls it back towards the end of the machine over a foldingtable 8. The cloth puller H pulls the cloth a predetermined length. Oncethe cloth 24 reaches that predetermined length, the cloth puller H isstopped by a proximity switch. The length cutter G then cuts the clothextending over the table to a predetermined length.

[0080] While the cloth is on the folding table, folding dies I arelowered down on top of the cloth. Die lifters J are used for loweringthe dies I down onto the cloth and retracting. Later they cycle to raisethem up off of the cloth. Once the dies I are put in position on top ofthe cloth, the cloth puller H is moved back towards the cut edge to foldthe leading edge of the cloth over the first folding die. It releasesthe cloth and retracts back to the end of the machine.

[0081] A trailing end folder K is then used for folding the trailing endof the cloth over the other die and other edge of the cloth. Once thecloth is folded, and in this particular instance for making a valance, acloth hold down bar L is lowered on top of the free edges of the clothpressing them in contact with a cloth shifter M. The cloth shifter Mincludes a plurality of drive belts which are supported on the foldingtable 8 directly beneath the bottom surface of the folded cloth and arein engagement therewith. In particular, the two dies and the cloth holddown bar L press the cloth down into engagement with the cloth shiftingbelts M.

[0082] The folded pattern is then shifted laterally off of the foldingtable.

[0083] As the folded pattern is shifted laterally off of the foldingtable, the leading edge comes in contact with an edge separating deviceN (see FIG. 26) which separates the upper edge from the lower edge andfeeds it into a hem edge curler O which curls the upper edge inward toform a hem. The curled upper edge then is shifted by the cloth shifter Minto engagement with the sewing head of a first sewing machine P. Thefirst sewing machine sews the hem into the folded pattern to produce apocket in the folded fabric. A second sewing head Q follows the firstsewing head P and puts a continuous stitch in the fabric which islaterally spaced from the stitch placed by the first sewing head P so asto sew an elongated socket in the valance which is capable of receivinga curtain rod.

[0084] A photocell R is carried by the first sewing head P to sense theleading edge of the folded pattern as it is shifted by the cloth shifterM. At this point in the operation, both of the sewing heads P and Q areoperating at the same speed so as to place the same number of stitchesper inch in the fabric. However, upon the photosensor R sensing theleading edge of the folded pattern, it causes a signal to be generatedthat in turn slows down the rate that the cloth shifter is moving thecloth over the table and also slows down the stitching speed of thesecond sewing machine Q. As a result, the first sewing machine P goesinto a tack mode to place more stitches per inch at the leading edge ofthe folded fabric. The tack mode continues for approximately one inchand then a controller associated with the operation of the sewingstation returns the cloth edge shifter M to its original traveling speedand returns the speed of the second sewing head Q to its original speed.At this point in time, the folded fabric continues to be moved underboth of the sewing heads P and Q to place a less dense stitch in themain body of the valance. Upon reaching the trailing edge of the foldedpattern, the tack mode is again entered into to place more stitches perinch adjacent the trailing edge of the valance. All of this is undercontrol of a controller that is activated by the photocell R. Anysuitable controller can be used for synchronizing the operation of thefeed of the fabric with the speed of the cloth shifter M and the sewingmachine Q.

[0085] Before describing in detail the operation of the cloth cuttingand sewing apparatus, one's attention is directed to a valance such asshown in FIGS. 27 and 28 that can be produced automatically on theapparatus. As can be seen, the valance 50 is produced from apredetermined length of fabric that is folded over and has a hem 52sewed along its length. Another seam 54 is sewn longitudinally thelength of the valance. As a result, a socket 56 is produced in thevalance for receiving the conventional curtain rod holder and a pocket58 is provided in the valance which can be stuffed with any suitablematerial to bulk up the valance if desired.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 27, when the valance is mounted over a window ithas a header portion 60 located directly above the socket 56 throughwhich the curtain rod extends. The valance can be gathered together toany degree to make the final position and design of the valanceaesthetically pleasing.

[0087] Referring now to FIG. 1, the let off A may be any suitableconventional let off that allows the cloth to be unrolled from a largeroll of cloth such as 10 and supplied under a uniform tension to aworking table.

[0088] One particular cutter B that can be used for cutting an edge 70off of the cloth is shown in FIG. 2. It includes a motor 74 which can beenergized by any suitable source of power that is in direct engagementwith a shaft 76 which carries a rotating cutting disc 78. As the cloth24 moves under the disc 78, it severs the cloth. In order to make thecut produced by the rotating disc cleaner, a carbide block can be placedclosely adjacent the lower edge of the blade so that the cloth issevered by the outer edge of the blade pressing against the carbideblock. An edge sharpener 79 can be carried adjacent to the cutting edgeof the blade for being brought into engagement when desired to sharpenthe blade 78. The blade assembly and motor 74 is mounted on a carriage80 which can be shifted laterally on a cross-support bar 82 that is inturn supported on the frame 84 of the table. As a result, the width ofthe cloth can be adjusted by moving the cutting head B laterally ontothe cross bar 82.

[0089] As the edge of the cloth 24 is severed by the cutting blade 78,it then passes between a channel shaped member 86 which maintains theedge of the cloth straight during the severing operation by the blade.

[0090] After the cloth passes through the channel shaped member 86, itis fed to the edge folding and positioning station C. The edge foldingand positioning station C is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4.The purpose of the edge folding and positioning station C is to properlyand uniformly fold both edges of the fabric so that a straight anduniform width hem can be subsequently sewed into the edges of the cloth.The location of the inner edge 90 of the cloth is sensed by a pair ofphotoelectric sensors 92 and 94. As long as the edge of the folded clothis positioned in between the sensors 92 and 94, no signal is generatedto rotate an adjusting wheel 96. As a result, a uniform width fold isproduced in the edge of the cloth for subsequently hemming.

[0091] If the width of the fold is too great, then both of thephotosensors 92 and 94 will be activated. When such occurs, a signal isgenerated and fed to an electric motor or any other suitable type motor98 through conventional control circuitry. When the motor 98 is in turnactivated, it rotates the wheel 96 clockwise. This clockwise motion ofthe wheel 96 causes the edge 90 of the cloth 24 to move outwardly. Aftera short delay, photosensors 92 and 94 are again activated for sensingthe edge 90 of the cloth 24. If the cloth is not properly aligned atthis point, the wheel 96 is rotated further. If inner edge 90 isproperly aligned between sensors 92 and 94, no further adjustments areneeded, and wheel 96 assumes a straight path.

[0092] If on the other hand the folded edge 90 is not wide enough anddoes not come between under each of the photosensors 92 and 94, then thewheel 96 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction similar to asdescribed above to guide the edge 90 of the fabric back between thephotosensor cells.

[0093] The photosensor cells 92 and 94 include a light source positionedunder the fabric and a sensor positioned on a space member. The fabricmoves between the light source and the two sensor heads and operates inthe conventional manner.

[0094] The position of the wheel 96 can be physically adjusted byloosening a screw 100 that is carried within an elongated slot 102provided in a bracket 104. The screw extends into a horizontalsupporting plate 106 which is in turn carried on top of support block108. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the support block 108 is in turn hingedadjacent its lower end through a hinge 110 to a fold forming plate 112.

[0095] The fold forming plate 112 has a vertically extending flange 114that is in turn fixed to a vertical shaft 116 as shown in FIG. 3 that isin turn carried on a slidable tubular member 118. The slidable tubularmember 118 is carried on a square horizontally extending tubular member120. As a result, the horizontal or lateral position of the entire edgefolding and positioning station C can be adjusted.

[0096] A spring loaded screw 122 extends between the support block 108and the vertical flange member 114 for applying a predetermined pressurethrough the wheel to the cloth during its guiding operation. As can beseen in FIG. 4, the entire wheel assembly including the wheel 96 and themotor 98 can be pivoted slightly about the hinge 110 for controlling thepressure asserted on the cloth during the guiding operation.

[0097] After the cloth passes under the edge folding and positioningstation C, it then moves through a conventional hem edge curler D suchas shown in cross-section in FIG. 6. The hem edge curler D includes aspherically twisted piece of sheet metal 130 that curls the cloth 24into a double fold adjacent its leading edge 90 such as best shown inFIG. 6. Such is a conventional hem forming mechanism. Once the fold isplaced in the edge of the cloth 24, it then passes under a hem sewinghead and cloth advancer E as shown in FIGS. 5, 7, 8, and 9. At thispoint on the table, the cloth has been advanced or moved forward by thecloth advancer E.

[0098] The hem sewing head 142 is a conventional sewing head that sewsthe hem into the edge of the cloth once it is folded by the folder D.

[0099] Coupled to the shaft 140 of the sewing head 142 is aneccentrically mounted linkage 144. This linkage in turn is connected offcenter to a shorter linkage 146 that is in turn carried on a shaft 148.

[0100] During the sewing operation, the upper shaft 140 of the sewingmachine runs continuously. As a result of the linkage 144 beingeccentrically attached to the shaft, a reciprocating motion is impartedto the linkage member 144. Such is shown by the arrow 150 in FIG. 8.This reciprocating motion is in turn imparted to the shaft 148 which hasa sprague clutch mounted therein which permits rotation to take place inone direction. The output of the sprague clutch is connected to anadvancing roll 152 that engages the surface of the cloth 24 for pullingthe cloth through the sewing head and across the table describedpreviously.

[0101] The purpose of intermittently pulling the cloth through thesewing head is for not pulling the cloth when the needle is in thecloth. In other words, the material is only pulled when the needle comesout of the cloth. Thus, the feed roll 152 advances the cloth apredetermined distance in synchronicity with the sewing machine. Asecond roller 154 is positioned in tandem with the drive roller 152 andis in pressure engagement therewith so that when the drive roll 152 isrotated it causes the cloth 24 to be advanced therebetween.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 8, the sewing head E is carried on laterallyextending guide rails 156 and 158 so that its position can be adjustedfor accommodating and sewing cloth of various widths.

[0103] As a result of using a sprague clutch to the output of shaft 148instead of a ratchet, the clutch will give infinitesimal adjustableintermittent forward movement through the cloth as compared to a ratchetwhich would be controlled by the spacing between the individual teeth.The principle of moving in one direction is analogous to a ratchetoperation but by operating through a sprague clutch one can adjust theforward stroke.

[0104] In FIGS. 8 and 9, two embodiments of a sewing head and clothadvancer E are shown. In particular, in FIG. 8 the drive roller 152 islocated above second roller 154. In FIG. 9, on the other hand, driveroller 152 is located below the second roller 154. Either embodiment canbe used in the apparatus of the present invention. However, for mostconventional sewing heads such as 142, preferably the drive roller islocated below the static roller for smoother operations. Of course,depending upon the equipment used or the particular circumstances, driveroller 152 can be placed in either position.

[0105] After the cloth 24 passes under the hem sewing head and clothadvancer E it is then fed into the accumulator F as shown in FIG. 1. Theweight of the roll 30 pulls the cloth down into the accumulator toaccumulate a reserve of cloth.

[0106] The cloth extends around the bottom surface of the roll 30 and upon top of the length cutting table where a length cutter G haspreviously severed the cloth. At the cutting table, the cloth is beingheld in place by means of a brush like member 170. The brush like member170 extends entirely all the way across the frame. The angles of itsbristles 172 point in the forward direction, in the direction of thecloth, so that the cloth can pass easily thereunder. However, brushmember 170 prevents the cloth from being pulled backwards into theaccumulator once the edge of the cloth has been severed by the lengthcutter G.

[0107] The length cutter G is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 10 and11. It includes a cutting head 174 that is propelled back and forthacross the cutting table by a gear tooth belt 176 that is driven by adriven pulley 178. The pulley 178 is driven by a conventional electricmotor 180 through a gear box 182 which is shown in broken lines in FIG.10 so as not to obscure the remaining parts of the drawing. The cuttinghead is carried on a channel shaped bracket 184 that is in turn attachedto the gear tooth belt 176 by means of bolts 186 which extend through aplate 188. The channel member 184 is in turn attached to a supportingblock 190 that has a pair of spaced guide channels 192 and 194 attachedthereto. The pair of spaced guide channels are in turn supported on arail 196. The guide channels 192 and 194 are made of a self-lubricatingmaterial such as high molecular weight polyethylene so that the cuttinghead can be readily reciprocated back and forth across the machineduring the cutting operation.

[0108] The timing belt 176 extends around a roller 198 which guides thebelt around a geared roller 200 for driving the gear roller 200. Thebelt then extends up around another idle roller 202. As a result, as thebelt is driven by the drive roller 178, the cutting head moves back andforth across the cutting table. As it moves back and forth across thecutting table, the gear roller 200 is rotated. The gear roller 200 isfixed to a shaft 204. The other end of the shaft 204 has a circularcutting blade 206 secured thereto.

[0109] A leaf spring 208 is carried adjacent to the lower end of thecutting head and the blade 206 so that it passes under the cloth duringthe cutting operation and guides the cloth into engagement with therotating edge of the blade 206. A carbide cutting block 210 ispositioned adjacent to the bottom edge of the cutting blade 206 so as tomake a clean severance of the cloth as the cutting head traverses backand forth across the machine.

[0110] The cutting head has a sharpening device 212 mounted thereon sothat when a sharpening head 214 is brought into engagement with therotating blade, it sharpens the edge of the blade at a proper angle.

[0111] The guide rail 196 upon which the length cutter G is carriedextends entirely across the cutting table and is supported by its endsby any suitable standards.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 1, the cloth puller and leading edge folderdevice H is provided for pulling a predetermined length of cloth fromthe accumulator across a folding table 8 so that the length of the clothcan be cut by the length cutter G. The cloth puller has a gripping jawthat can be closed over the edge of the cloth that was cut by the lengthcutter. Once the cloth puller H engages the edge of the cloth, it can beretracted for pulling a predetermined length of cloth from theaccumulator F.

[0113] The cloth puller H as shown in FIGS. 12 and 21 includes apivoting gripping jaw 220 that has an upper movable flange member 222that is hinged at hinge joint 224 that can be pivoted downwardly to aclosed position to grip the leading edge of the cloth 24 with acooperating jaw 226 located therebelow. The gripping jaw has avertically extending flange 228 connected thereto so that when theflange is pushed forward by a plunger 230 to a vertical position, thegripping jaw 220 will be pushed down to grip the cloth. The plunger 230is carried on the output of a pneumatically operated cylinder 232 thathas a piston 234 extending therefrom. The hinge member 224 is supportedon a base plate 236 that is in turn secured to a tubular member 238. Thetubular member 238 is in turn supported on spaced slide blocks 240constructed of lubricated high molecular weight polyethylene material.Angle members 242 secure the tubular member 238 to the side block 240.Side blocks 240 are carried on opposite sides of the frame as only oneside of the cloth puller H is shown in FIG. 21. The slide blocks 240 arein turn carried on a tubular rail 244 that is suitably supported on sideframe members 246. The guide blocks 240 have a metal support plate 248attached to the bottom thereof which are in turn attached to a timingbelt 250. The timing belt 250 extends around spaced driven pulleys 252.One of the pulleys 252 is supported on a rotatable shaft 254. The upperend of rotatable shaft 254 has a gear 256 provided thereon. The gear 256is in turn coupled by a chain 258 to a grip driven gear 260. The drivengear 260 is coupled to the output of a gear box 262 which has its inputconnected to a motor 264. By turning the motor 264 on and off, thegripping jaw 220 can be moved along the guide rail 244 to a positionclosely adjacent the previously cut end of the cloth for gripping thecloth. Once the gripping jaw 220 is engaged to grip the cloth, it can beretracted to pull a predetermined length of cloth from the accumulator.

[0114] A spring 266 extends from a vertically extending portion 228 ofthe jaw and the slide block 240 to hold the jaws in a normally openposition. In order to close the jaw 220, air is supplied to thepneumatic cylinder 232 to move the piston to the right, as shown in FIG.12. When the piston 234 is moved to the right, the plunger 230 engagesthe vertically extending portion of the upper jaw to pivot it about thehinge 224 to cause the horizontal gripping jaw 222 to move to the closedposition where it would engage the cloth.

[0115] Before describing the sequence of operation of the pulling headand the folding of the cloth on the folding table, the dies forfacilitating the folding of the cloth will be described. The diesinclude two elongated metal plates 270 and 272 such as best shown inFIGS. 22 and 24. The dies are placed on top of the cloth 24 after thecloth 24 has been pulled onto the folding table 8. The dies are raisedand lowered by lifting devices J. The lifting devices J as shown in FIG.13 include an electrical magnet 274 carried on the end of a piston rod276 extending out the lower end of a pneumatically operated cylinder278. The die plates are raised and lowered from the lifting table bymanipulating the pneumatically operated cylinders 278. In order to lowerthe die onto the cloth carried on the table, air is supplied to an upperport of the pneumatic cylinder 278 forcing the piston rod 276 out thelower end of the cylinder. The electromagnet 274 is energized at thistime and has the metal die 272 secured thereto. When the die ispositioned on top of the cloth, the electromagnet is deenergizedreleasing the die 272, and the pneumatic cylinder 278 has air suppliedto its lower port for raising the piston with the electromagnet upwardlyso as not to interfere with the folding operation.

[0116] There are three electromagnets positioned above each of the diesfor engaging metal plates 280 carried on the dies.

[0117] In order to ensure that the dies are properly positioned on thefolding table, a T-shaped attachment 282 is carried on one of the endsof each of the dies. The T-shaped attachment is positioned between threeabutments 284, 286, and 288, which properly align the end of the die onthe folding table 8. Aligning members 290 are provided adjacent to theother end of the dies and include a triangular shaped end portion 292that is rotated into engagement with a V-shaped recess 294 provided onthe end of the dies opposite the end where the T-shaped member 282 iscarried. The positioning member 290 is carried on the end of an outputshaft of a motor 291 that when energized rotates the engaged member 290from a retracted position such as shown in FIG. 22 to a positioningposition wherein the triangular shaped end portion 292 engages theV-shaped slot 294 to properly align the dies. The T-shaped attachments282 and aligning members 290 maintain the dies 270 and 272 in theirproper position during the folding operation as will be describedhereinafter.

[0118] The entire pulling and folding operation of the fabric will bedescribed below, but it is felt that it is best to describe some of theelements that are to be used in the operation before going through thesequences. Another functional device is the cloth hold down device L.The cloth hold down device L as shown in FIGS. 13 and 25 includes anelongated wooden block 300 that extends across the entire folding table8. Positioned adjacent the bottom of the elongated wooden block 300 is afoam pad 302 that has secured to the bottom surface thereof a strip ofhigh molecular weight polyethylene 304. The elongated block 300 issecured to the lower end of a plurality of pistons 306 that are in turnmanipulated by pneumatically operated cylinders 308. The purpose of thecloth hold down bar L is to hold the cloth flush against the foldingtable when it is desired to transport the folded cloth pattern laterallyto a subsequent sewing station. As a result of the foam pad 302, the lowfriction surface 304 is allowed to ride over seams and hems whileimparting a substantially uniform pressure all the way across the cloth.The low friction surface 304 permits the cloth to slide under the holddown device when it is being shifted laterally to a subsequent sewingoperation.

[0119] This sequence of the pulling and cutting of the predeterminedlengths of fabric will now be described. First, reference is directed toFIG. 13 which shows on the right, the edge of the cloth 24 locateddirectly under the cutter blade 206. At this point in time, the clothpuller H is retracted to the end of the machine such as shown in FIG.13, and the gripping jaw 220 is in an open position. The controller forthe machine energizes the drive motor 264 which causes the timing belt250 to be driven to move the gripping head 220 to the right, to theposition shown in FIG. 14. As the gripping head 220 approaches theposition shown in FIG. 14, a metal member 320 which is carried by thetiming belt 250 and which projects laterally beyond the frame of themachine first passes proximity switch 322 as shown in FIG. 25. At thispoint in time a signal is generated to slow the motor 264 down. Thegripping head 220 continues, however, moving forward until the member320 is positioned adjacent the proximity switch 324 which generates asignal that is fed back to stop the motor 264 in the position shown inFIG. 14. Note in FIG. 14 that the dies I are engaged with theelectromagnets and are in a raised position so as to permit the grippinghead to pass thereunder.

[0120]FIG. 15 shows the gripping head 220 lowered to a closed positiongripping the leading edge of the fabric 24.

[0121] In FIG. 16, the controller associated with the machine againenergizes the motor 264 to retract the puller H with the gripping headin the closed position pulling the cloth 24 out of the accumulator F. Asthe activating member 320 carried by the gripping head comes adjacent aproximity switch 326 as shown in FIG. 25, the motor slows down and keepsgoing backwards until it comes adjacent the proximity switch 328 whichstops the motor 264. In this position, the cloth 24 is extended its fulllength such as shown in FIG. 16. The proximity switches are adjustablefor extending the cloth 24 a predetermined distance.

[0122] The next step in the sequence is activating the pneumaticcylinders forming part of die lifters J to lower the dies I down on topof the folding table 8 as shown in FIG. 17. At this point in time, theelectromagnets carried on the end of the pistons associated with thelifting device are deenergized and leave the dies 270 and 272 on top ofthe extended cloth 24 such as shown in FIG. 22. The cloth puller andleading edge folder H is again moved back to the right as shown in FIG.18, and while it is moving to the right, it has the leading edge of thecloth engagement between the gripping jaws. When it reaches the positionsuch as shown in FIG. 18, the jaws of the gripping device 220 are opento release the cloth. As can be seen in FIG. 18, a single fold has beenmade in the cloth at this time.

[0123] A trailing end folder K has an L-shaped angled member 340 carriedon the upper end thereof which in turn has the trailing end of thefabric 24 resting on top. By pivoting the trailing end folder in theforward direction, the angle member 340 pushes the trailing edge of thefabric over the die 272 to produce the folded pattern such as shown inFIG. 19. This folded pattern is now in position for being transported toa sewing station which will sew a hem in the edge of the upper fold andproduce two elongated stitch lines along across the width of the entirevalance to define a pocket and a socket in the valance.

[0124] The next step in the sequence is to lower the cloth hold down barL onto the folded cloth pattern directly above the ends of the cloth asshown in FIG. 20. The cloth shifter M, which is in the form of threedriven belts 350, 352, and 354, is used for shifting the folded patternof cloth laterally from the folding table to an adjacent sewing station.The T-shaped attachments 282 carried on the end of the dies 270 and 272prevent the dies from being moved laterally as the cloth is pulled bythe moving belts 350, 352, and 354, off of the folding table into thenext sewing station.

[0125] As can be seen in FIG. 26, the folded pattern of cloth 24 iscarried on the movable belts 350, 352, and 354. The pattern 24 is helddown flush against the belts 352 and 354 by spring loaded plates notshown. The upper edge of the cloth 24 engages a first driven belt 360.Prior to engaging the belt 360, the folded pattern 24 moves intoengagement with an edge separating device N which includes a thinupwardly projecting finger that protrudes between the adjacent folds inthe pattern of cloth 24 and feeds the edge of the upper fold into aconventional hem edge curler O which curls the edge under to form a hem.

[0126] The hem is then fed towards a first sewing machine P which has asingle needle.

[0127] The purpose of the first sewing head P is to put a length ofstitch across the entire folded pattern and to tack stitches adjacent tothe leading edge of the valance and the trailing edge of the valance. Asecond sewing machine Q follows the first sewing machine, and itspurpose is to place a stitch continuously across the entire valance. Thesecond sewing head is offset from the first sewing head so that you haveoffset stitch lines to define a socket for receiving a curtain rod and apocket for receiving filler material.

[0128] A controller is used for controlling the drive of the sewingmachines P and Q as well as the drive for the moving belts 350, 352 and354 and the upper belts 360 and 362.

[0129] A photocell R is carried by the first sewing machine P, and itgenerates a signal indicating that the leading edge of the foldedpattern 24 has reached the sewing head. This causes a signal to be sentto the controller which slows down the conveying belts 350, 352 and 354and the trailing sewing machine Q. The first sewing machine P continuesto sew at its normal rate but since the movement of the fabric under thehead has been slowed, more stitches per inch are placed in the leadingedge of the folded fabric. This occurs for approximately one inch,depending on the preference of the customer.

[0130] The same tacking operation takes place at the trailing edge ofthe folded fabric. The controller can be set for activating the tackingoperation according to the lengths of valances being produced.

[0131] After the two elongated stitches have been placed across thevalances by the sewing heads P and Q, the thread extending betweenadjacent valances is cut by a thread cutter 364, and the valances aremoved off the end of the sewing station onto a rotating folder whichfolds the valances into a rectangular package.

[0132] Proper spacing is maintained between the valances beingtransferred from the folding table 8 to the final sewing station bymeans of a photocell 370 that is positioned adjacent to the side of thefolding table as shown in FIG. 25. This photocell senses the trailingand leading edges of the folded valances, and activates the controllerwhich starts and stops the conveying and sequencing operation of themachine. Any suitable conventional controller can be used forsynchronizing the various conveying and sewing operations taking place.

[0133] The apparatus of the present invention can also be adapted tofeed two or more rolls of material simultaneously through the system ascan be shown in FIGS. 25, 31, and 32. Many products including draperies,curtains, shower curtains, foam and fabric mattresses, and the like aremade with multiple layers of material joined together. For instance,some draperies are made with a face fabric sewn to a liner. In the past,many problems have been encountered when attempting to feed two or morerolls of material simultaneously into a sewing operation. Usually, whenattempting to feed two different fabrics together, each layer of fabrictends to develop a particular amount of stretch or inner tension. Whenthe two fabrics are later cut and relaxed, one layer will tend to pullaway or snap back from the other layer. Consequently, the two layerswill fall out of alignment and fail to be evenly superimposed on oneanother.

[0134] Referring to FIG. 29, a hemmed product generally 450 is shownmade according to prior art practices. Hemmed product 450 includes aliner fabric 452 that has been hemmed and sewn to a face fabric 454.Liner fabrics are typically made from a much lighter material than facefabrics. As such, when attempting to feed a face fabric with a linerfabric from respective rolls of material into a sewing operation, thelighter liner fabric tends to become more stretched than the facefabric. As shown in FIG. 29, when the two fabrics are later cut, theedge of liner 452 snaps back away from the edge of face fabric 454.

[0135] When this occurs, the two layers of fabric fall out of alignmentwith respect to each other. An additional cutting operation or otherprocedure must be performed in order to realign the edges of thefabrics. There will always be, however, a differential amount of stretchpresent within each fabric which cannot be removed after the two layersare sewn together. This differential amount of stretch may cause theresulting product not to function properly for its intended purpose.

[0136] Referring to FIG. 30, a hemmed product generally 460 madeaccording to the present invention is illustrated. Hemmed product 460includes a liner fabric 462 that has been sewn and hemmed to a facefabric 464. By using the apparatus and method of the present invention,as will be described in more detail, a face fabric and a liner can beautomatically fed into a sewing and cutting operation while maintainingthe edges of the two fabrics in alignment and without creating a stretchdifferential in the resulting product.

[0137] The method and apparatus of feeding two rolls of materialsimultaneously will now be described with particular reference to FIGS.25, 31, 32, and 33. As shown in FIGS. 25, 31, and 32, a second roll offabric 400 such as a liner is carried on a second let off A′. The letoff A′ includes a power driven roll 402 which has a friction coveringthereon. Similar to as described above, power driven roll 402 is drivenby an electric motor 403. Motor 403 is a variable speed driven motor.The speed of the motor can be placed under the control of a tensionsupplying means such as a dancer roll 404 which can apply apredetermined amount of tension or weight to the fabric. The dancer roll404 is permitted to move up and down responsive to variations in tensionin the cloth extending therearound as the cloth is pulled into varioussewing and cutting processes. As the dancer roll 404 moves up and down,the voltage applied to the motor drive board is varied for varying thelet off speed of the cloth.

[0138] Similar to roll let-off A, variable speed motor 403, incombination with dancer roll 404, acts as a tension control unit forfeeding fabric to the system at a constant tension. Of course, otherforms of tension control units can be used in the apparatus of thepresent invention as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. Forinstance, a tension control apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,525,367 to Sprague which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0139] In order to ensure that fabrics 24 and 410 are each fed to thesystem at a constant tension as described above, in one embodimentdancer rolls 22 and 404, as shown in FIGS. 25, 31, and 32, can have apredetermined weight. For instance, dancer roll 22 can weigh 10 poundswhich is then supported by cloth 24. Further, in order to make theweight of the dancer rolls adjustable, a tool balance can be placed inoperative association with the rolls. Specifically, the tool balance canbe suspended above and connected to the dancer rolls. The balance canthen be adjusted to absorb a particular amount of the weight of theroller. Less weight is then supported by the fabric.

[0140] According to the present invention, unlike roll let off A, rolllet off A′ further includes a second power driven roll 406. Roll 406 isin operative engagement with a torque supplying device generally 405 asshown in FIG. 31. Torque supplying device 405 preferably applies apredetermined amount of torque to roll 406 but does not affect therotational speed of the roll. Power driven roll 406 in combination withtorque supplying device 405 is added to let off A′ in order toadjustably place the liner under a different tension in comparison tothe face fabric for feeding the two fabrics simultaneously and inalignment.

[0141] For instance, in one embodiment, dancer roll 22 can be set at aparticular weight for feeding cloth 24 at a predetermined and constanttension. Dancer roll 404 is then also set at a particular weight.However, by including torque supplying device 405 in operativeassociation with roll 406, the weight supported by the liner 410 fromdancer roll 404 can be varied. This adjustment can be made in responseto the tension being exerted on the cloth by the sewing heads and clothadvancers E in comparison to the amount of tension being exerted oncloth 24. Once a proper adjustment in the tension of liner 410 is made,the liner 410 and cloth 24 should feed simultaneously and uniformly.

[0142] In this arrangement, power roller 406 always applies a continuoustorque to liner 410 for placing in equilibrium the rate at which theliner and the cloth are fed to the sewing heads. The level liningapparatus as described herein feeds both the liner and the cloth at aconstant tension. However, a different amount of tension is placed onthe liner in comparison to the cloth. Different amounts of tension areapplied in order to compensate for differences in the makeup of thefabrics (such as weight, denier, texture, etc.) and for the differenteffects that the sewing and cutting apparatus have on the fabrics.

[0143] One type of torque supplying device 405 that can be used in thepresent invention is illustrated in FIG. 33. Torque supplying device 405includes an electric motor 412 in operative association with ahysteresis clutch 414. A belt 416 interconnects motor 412 withhysteresis clutch 414, while a similar belt 418 interconnects clutch 414with roller 406.

[0144] In this arrangement, motor 412 via hysteresis clutch 414 appliesa predetermined amount of torque to roller 406. Hysteresis clutch 414further includes a control device 420 for increasing or decreasing theamount of torque applied to the roller.

[0145] Of course, the motor and clutch arrangement illustrated in FIG.33 is merely one embodiment of a torque supplying device. Any device canbe used in the present invention that is capable of applying acontinuous amount of torque to a roller without affecting the let-offspeed of the fabric. For instance, a torque motor can also be used inthe present invention.

[0146] A detailed explanation of the operation of the level liningapparatus of the present invention will now be discussed with referenceto a particular example. The following example is offered to illustratethe invention and is not intended to limit the invention to anyparticular form or embodiment.

[0147] A level lining apparatus similar to the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 25, 31, and 32, was used to form a hemmed product comprising aliner sewn to a face fabric. The liner fabric used was much lighter thanthe face fabric.

[0148] A roll of the face fabric was placed on roll let-off A andthreaded around the guide rolls. Dancer roll 22 was set at 5 pounds, andthe fabric was fed through the system at a constant tension.

[0149] A roll of the liner fabric was placed on roll let-off A′. Dancerroll 404 for the liner fabric was set at 10 pounds. In this example, ahysteresis clutch and motor arrangement were used to provide a torque toroll 406. Specifically, the hysteresis clutch was capable of providing apredetermined amount of torque that corresponded to removing from 0 to10 pounds of tension on the liner caused by the weight of the dancerroll 404. In other words, by adjusting the control device on thehysteresis clutch, the resulting amount of torque that was applied toroll 406 compensated for the weight of dancer roll 404, having theeffect of being able to incrementally decrease the weight of dancer roll404 anywhere from 10 down to 0 pounds.

[0150] For instance, as described above, the face fabric was set at 5pounds. Using torque supplying device 405 in combination with a 10 pounddancer roll, the weight applied to the liner fabric was capable of beingvaried anywhere from 0 to 10 pounds. The hysteresis clutch was thenadjusted so that a resulting tension was placed on the liner fabric thatallowed the liner fabric and the face fabric to feed simultaneously anduniformly into the system.

[0151] In summary, the method of the present invention for feeding atleast two rolls of material simultaneously includes the steps of firstsetting the face fabric at a constant tension. Next, the liner fabric isset at a constant tension. A torque supplying device is provided foradjusting the tension placed on the liner fabric. In particular, usingthe torque supplying device, the tension on the liner fabric is set at apoint where the liner and face fabric are fed together into the systemwithout creating any differential stretch between the two layers.

[0152] Referring to FIG. 31, the level lining apparatus illustratedtherein further includes a pair of photoelectric sensors 430 and 432.Sensors 430 and 432 are for sensing the edges of cloths 24 and 410respectively. The sensors can be used to ensure that the two fabricsremain in vertical alignment as they are processed.

[0153] In one embodiment, photosensors 430 and 432 can send a signal toa controller which in turn controls shifting devices that are capable ofhorizontally shifting the rolls of materials that are supported on thelet-offs. For instance, the roll shifting devices can include hydrauliccylinders or linear actuators that are arranged in order to shift therolls of material. As shown in FIG. 1, the shifting device can be usedto shift idle rollers 14 and 16, the roll of material itself 10, or eventhe support frame upon which the idle rollers are supported.

[0154] During operation, if photoelectric sensors 430 or 432 detect thatthe edge of the face fabric or the liner are not at a predeterminedposition, the shifting device can be actuated for realigning the fabric.Preferably, the shifting device will shift the fabric to the left orright in small increments, such as at {fraction (1/16)} of an inch at atime.

[0155] By using the level lining apparatus in combination with avertical edge guidance system, various improved sewn products can beproduced. For instance, one major and unexpected advantage to using theapparatus of the present invention is the capability of automaticallymaking sewn products containing a face fabric and a liner, wherein theliner is narrower than the face fabric. Specifically, referring to FIG.34 a face fabric 500 and a liner 502 having a narrower width than theface fabric are illustrated prior to being hemmed or sewn together. Whenconstructing sewn products that include a face fabric in combinationwith a liner, the vertical edges of the fabrics are typically hemmedtogether in a double hem arrangement. Score lines 504 and 508 and scorelines 506 and 510 represent the fold lines for forming the verticalhems.

[0156] Referring to FIG. 35, a double folded hem generally 530 is shownincluding a face fabric 532 and a liner fabric 534. Specifically, thisembodiment represents past practices in which the liner fabric and theface fabric were of the same width. As shown, when creating a doublefolded hem 530 in this embodiment, the resulting hem is six layers offabric thick.

[0157]FIG. 36, on the other hand, represents a double folded hemgenerally 550 that would be made from the liner and face fabricarrangement illustrated in FIG. 34. As shown, by using a liner fabricnarrower than the face fabric, the resulting hem is only four layers offabric thick, thereby eliminating two layers of fabric from the hem.This result is particularly significant when the bottom or top of thesewn product is also hemmed. For example, if the bottom of the productwere similarly hemmed with a double fold, the vertical hem would befolded upon itself twice at each of the bottom corners. If this were tooccur, hem 530 shown in FIG. 35 would produce a bottom corner that was18 layers of fabric thick while the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 36would only be 12 layers thick.

[0158] There are many advantages to reducing the number of layers thatare found in any particular hem. For instance, more layers require morepower requirements to sew the hem together. Another advantage to using aliner fabric that is narrower than the face fabric is that less linerfabric is needed to make the finished product. Further, thicker hems canadversely interfere with the appearance of the product. For instance,when included in a curtain or drapery, a thicker hem may not hangcorrectly. As such, the present invention is further directed to animproved hemmed product and a method of making same.

[0159] Referring now to FIGS. 37A through FIG. 44, a further alternativeembodiment of a fabric sewing system made in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated. In this embodiment, the system is particularlywell adapted to producing draperies, such as curtains. Specifically, inthis embodiment, a face fabric, with or without a liner, is cut intopredetermined lengths and is hemmed on at least three (3) sides, andpreferably on all four (4) sides automatically.

[0160] Referring particularly to FIGS. 37A through 37E, a succession ofsteps is illustrated showing the production of four-sided hemmedproducts. As shown in FIG. 37A, similar to the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1, the system includes a let off A and, if desired, a second letoff A′ for producing lined products. This system further includes edgecutting devices B, edge folding and positioning stations C, hem sewinghead and cloth advancers E, an accumulator F, and a length cutter G.Similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, these components arefor feeding a cloth 24 into the system, forming a hem into each side ofthe cloth, and cutting the cloth into predetermined lengths. In thisregard, the system further includes a cloth puller H and cloth hold downbars L which assist in measuring and positioning predetermined lengthsof cloth before the cloth is cut and shifted on the table for furtherprocessing.

[0161] In accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, thesystem further includes a variable size table V having cloth shifters Mfor transporting cloth 24 after it has been cut. In order to form hemson each side of the cut cloth 24, the system includes opposing edgefolders T, hem forming devices (not shown in this Figure), sewing headsP, Q and S, and trailing thread cutters U.

[0162] As shown in FIG. 37B, once cloth 24 is extended over Table V bycloth puller H and cut by length cutter G, the cloth is moved to edgefolders T which fold the edge of each side of the cloth once. After theedge of the cloth is folded, the cloth is then fed into an edge formingdevice which forms a hem by further folding the edge of the cloth. Asshown in FIGS. 37C and 37D, the cloth is then fed to sewing heads P, Qand S which stitch hem lines into the cloth. Also, sewing head P furthercreates a stitch line for forming a curtain rod passage into the draperyproduct.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 37E, sewing head P, Q and S operate continuouslyduring the process which produces stitch lines that attach the cutpieces of cloth together. Consequently, the system further includestrailing thread cutters U. Each trailing thread cutter includes a pairof impact cutters which work in tandem to remove the thread which existsin between each cut piece of cloth.

[0164] Referring to FIG. 44, one side of Table V is illustrated showingedge folder T, sewing head Q, sewing head P and a pair of trailingthread cutters U. In this embodiment, a labling device W is also shownwhich places labels in the hems that are formed into the cloth beforethe hems are stitched by sewing head Q. Also shown are belts X whichassist in transporting cloth 24 and in feeding the cloth into the sewingheads.

[0165] As described above, the system illustrated in FIG. 37A isparticularly well suited for forming lined or unlined drapery productsthat have been hemmed on all four (4) sides. For instance, the systemcan automatically produce curtains having any desired length. In orderto better understand this embodiment of the present invention, each ofthe individual components will now be described in detail.

[0166] Referring to FIGS. 38A through 38E, cloth puller H, clothshifters M, cloth hold down bars L, and adjustable table V are shownillustrating the manner in which cloth 24 is pulled over the table andtransferred downstream. As shown in FIG. 38A, cloth puller H engages aleading edge of cloth 24 and pulls the cloth a predetermined distanceover the table as shown in FIG. 38B in a manner similar to that shownand described with respect to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. Onceextended over the table, the cloth is cut by a length cutter.

[0167] As shown in this embodiment, the system includes a plurality ofcloth hold down bars 600, 602, 604, 606, 608 and 610. Cloth hold downbars 600 and 602 are designed to press the ends of the cloth against thetable. Cloth hold down bars 604, 606, 608 and 610, on the other hand,are configured to hold the cloth against cloth shifters M which, in thisembodiment, comprise conveyor belts.

[0168] Referring to FIG. 38C, in this embodiment, cloth hold down bars600 and 602 engage the ends of cloth 24 when the cloth is cut in orderto maintain the position of the cloth. For instance, cloth shifters Mcan be designed to be continuously moving. Hold down bars 600 and 602permit the cloth shifters to move without disrupting the position of thefabric when the fabric is being cut.

[0169] As shown in FIG. 38D and FIG. 38E, once cloth 24 is cut, clothhold down bars 604, 606, 608 and 610 engage the cloth and press it intoengagement with cloth shifters M. Simultaneously, cloth hold down bars600 and 602 release from the cloth, as shown particularly in FIG. 38E,allowing cloth 24 to be transferred downstream in a controlled manner.

[0170] In order to produce draperies having different sizes, the systemof the present invention includes variable size table V as particularlyshown in FIGS. 38A and 39. As shown in FIG. 38A, table V includes, inthis embodiment, four (4) leaves 612, 614, 616 and 618. Specifically,the table includes a stationary table panel 618, a movable table panel616, and two (2) adjustable sleeve plates 612 and 614. As shown in FIG.39, table panel 616 is movable towards and away from stationary tablepanel 618 by a rack and pinion generally 624.

[0171] As table panel 616 is moved away from table panel 618, a gap isformed in between the two (2) panels. In order to fill this gap andcreate a continuous table top, table V includes adjustable sleeve plates612 and 614 as shown in FIG. 38A. The movement of adjustable sleeveplate 612 is controlled by a rack pinion 620, while the movement ofadjustable sleeve plate 614 is controlled by a rack and pinion 622. Asshown in FIG. 39, rack and pinion 622 is controlled by hand wheel 626,while rack and pinion 620 is controlled by a hand wheel 628.

[0172] Through the use of these movable plates, the width of the tablecan be increased or decreased depending upon the size of the draperyproduct that is desired to be made.

[0173] In some embodiments, depending upon the position of the variouselements contained in the system, it may be necessary for table V toinclude gaps and spaces. For instance, the cloth shifters, the hemforming devices, and other elements which advance the cloth, may bepropelled by various pulleys and belts. In one embodiment, a gap must becreated in the middle of the table in order to have space for thepulleys. In these circumstances, as shown in FIG. 40E, table V caninclude a blower 646 positioned below the gap or opening formed into thetable. Blower 646 supplies air pressure under the opening for allowingthe pieces of cloth 24 to glide over the opening without becomingdeformed. As shown in FIG. 40E, blower 646 pushes the cloth up below theopening. The size of blower 646 will depend upon the weight of the clothand the size of the opening. For most applications, the blower can havea capacity of up to about 100 cubic feet per minute of air.

[0174] Once cloth 24 is cut to a predetermined size on Table V, clothshifters M transfer the cloth down the table. Specifically, the cloth atopposing edges comes into engagement with edge folders T which fold overthe edges of the cloth. As shown in FIGS. 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, and 40Eeach edge of the cloth is then fed into a hem forming device Y. Edgeforming device Y forms a hem into each side of the cloth which is thensewn by sewing heads S, P and Q.

[0175] Referring particularly to FIG. 40A, 40B, 40D, and 40E, theoperation of edge folder T is illustrated. As shown in FIG. 40D and 40E,first the edge of cloth 24 engages a transition plate 648 which placesthe cloth on top of edge folder T. Transition plate 648 serves twopurposes. First, the transition plate extends the width of the table forproviding a support surface for the edge of the cloth so that the edgewill not drape over the table. Second, transition plate 648 also guidesthe cloth on top of the edge folder so that the edge folder can fold theedge as will be described in more detail below.

[0176] Referring now to FIG. 40A and 40B, edge folder T includes afolding plate 634 in operative engagement with a cylinder 630 that canbe, for instance, air actuated. During the process of the presentinvention, cloth 24 is transferred by cloth shifters M onto foldingplate 634 as shown in FIG. 40A. Cloth 24 is also fed under a foldingstrip 632 which can be made from, for instance, plastic or metal.

[0177] As shown in FIG. 40B, once cloth 24 is positioned on top offolding plate 634, cylinder 630 is actuated causing a piston 636 tocontract causing folding plate 634 to fold the edge of cloth 24 overfolding strip 632. In this manner, the entire edge of the fabric isfolded at one time by edge folder T which facilitates the formation ofan even and uniform fold.

[0178] After both edges of cloth 24 have been folded by edge folders T,the cloth is then fed into a pair of hem forming devices Y which engagethe folded edges of the cloth. As shown in FIG. 40c, hem forming deviceY includes a pivoting pressure wheel 638 and one (1) or more belts 640.As shown in FIG. 40C, pressure wheel 638 pivots between an up positionand a down position in coordination with the operation of edge folder T.Specifically, when edge folder T is folding the edge of the cloth overthe folding strip 632, pressure wheel 638 stays in the up position inorder to not interfere with the formation of the fold. After the edge ofcloth 24 is folded, however, pressure wheel 638 pivots to the downposition causing belts 640 to engage the cloth and feed it into a hemfolding mechanism. In particular, hem forming device Y includes a hemfolding mechanism similar to the one illustrated in FIG. 6 as describedabove. The hem folding mechanism forms a double fold in the edge of thecloth.

[0179] After hem forming devices Y further fold the edges of cloth 24,the cloth is then fed into sewing heads S, P and Q as shown in FIG. 37A.Sewing heads S and Q stitch the hems together along each edge of thefabric. Sewing head P, on the other hand, creates a stitch line into thefabric for forming a rod pocket if desired.

[0180] Sewing heads S, P and Q work continuously. Consequently, as shownin FIGS. 41 and 43, thread lines 642, 643 and 644 are formed in betweencut cloths 24 which must be removed. In this regard, the system furtherincludes trailing thread cutters U positioned on each side of thefabric.

[0181] Referring to FIGS. 42A through 42E, the operation of trailingthread cutter U is shown. Trailing thread cutter U includes a pair ofimpact cutters 650 and 654 in operative engagement with respectivecylinders 652 and 656. Positioned below each impact cutter is an impactplate. For instance, positioned below impact cutter 650 is an impactplate 658, while positioned below impact cutter 654 is an impact plate660. In order to remove the thread once is has been cut, trailing threadcutter U further includes a suction or vacuum tube 662. As shown in FIG.42B, when fabric blanks 24 are transported over the table by clothshifters M, a photosensor is used to detect the end of a forward cloth24 and the beginning of a trailing cloth 24. Once the gap is detectedbetween the two (2) pieces of cloth, the impact cutters work inconjunction in removing thread line 642.

[0182] Specifically, as shown in the figures, cylinder 656 is firstactuated causing impact cutter 654 to strike impact plate 660 and cutthe up stream side of thread line 642. After impact plate 654 cuts thethread, cylinder 652 is activated which causes impact cutter 650 to cutthe other end of thread line 642. Once both ends of the thread have beencut, the thread is then collected by suction by 662.

[0183] Of particular importance, trailing thread cutter operates byfirst cutting the upstream side of thread line 642 prior to cutting thedownstream end of the thread. The thread is cut in this sequence inorder to facilitate removal of the thread. Specifically, since thepieces of fabric are constantly moving during the cutting process, it isimportant to cut the upstream side of the thread so that the threaddrags along the table and remains extended allowing for the downstreamend of the thread to be cut easily. If the downstream end of the threadwere cut first, on the other hand, the thread could not be as easilycontrolled, cut and removed.

[0184] As shown in FIG. 43, trailing thread cutter U can further includemultiple pairs of impact plates in order to remove as many thread linesas are necessary. The thread cutter illustrated in FIG. 43 workssimilarly to the thread cutter illustrated in FIG. 42A.

[0185] Once the threads are cut and removed separating the hemmed piecesof fabrics, the pieces of fabric can then be removed from table V andpackaged accordingly. As described above, the system of the presentinvention is particularly well suited to producing any type of drapery,especially curtains that have been hemmed on all four (4) sides.

[0186] These and other modifications and variations to the presentinvention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art,without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention,which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. Inaddition, it should be understood that aspects of the variousembodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore,those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoingdescription is by way of example only and is not intended to belimitative of the invention so further described in such appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for automatically processing a rollof material into predetermined lengths of fabric having verticallyfolded and sewn edges and at least one horizontally folded and sewnedge, said apparatus comprising: a roll let off for supporting andfeeding a roll of material; first and second edge folding andpositioning units positioned to receive opposite vertical edges of amaterial as said material is unwound from said let off, wherein saidedge folding and positioning units form a vertical fold along said edgesof said material; a pair of corresponding hem sewing heads located toreceive said folded edges formed by said respective edge folding andpositioning units, said hem sewing heads for sewing hems along saidedges; a cloth puller for engaging and pulling an end of said material apredetermined length; a fabric length cutter for cutting saidpredetermined lengths of material after said material has been pulled bysaid cloth puller; a third edge folding and positioning unit positionedto receive a horizontal edge of said material after said material hasbeen cut, said third edge folding and positioning unit forming ahorizontal fold along said edge of said material; and a sewing headlocated to receive said folded edge formed by said third edge foldingand positioning unit, said sewing head for sewing said fold along saidedge.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein said first andsecond edge folding and positioning units maintain said folds formedalong said vertical edges of said material a predetermined width as saidmaterial is fed therethrough.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 ,wherein said first and second edge folding and positioning units includean edge sensor for sensing the edge of said material along said verticalfolds, said edge sensor sending signals to a fold adjustment device formaintaining said vertical folds a uniform width.
 4. The apparatus asdefined in claim 3 , wherein said fold adjustment device includes acontroller for receiving signals from said edge sensor and a wheelpositioned on top of a guide plate, said edge of said material foldingover said guide plate and passing between said wheel and said plate,wherein when an adjustment in the width of said fold is necessary, saidcontroller rotates said wheel for a predetermined interval of time foradjusting the width of said fold.
 5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a pair of hem edge curlers positioned before saidrespective hem sewing heads, wherein said hem edge curlers receive saidfolded vertical edges of said material and further curl said edgeswithin said fold for forming a doubled back border along said material.6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a secondroll let off for simultaneously feeding a liner with said material. 7.The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein said pair of correspondingsewing heads include a sewing head in communication with a rollerarrangement for sewing and advancing said material, wherein at least oneroller in said roller arrangement is eccentrically connected to a driveshaft located on said sewing head by a ratchet arm such that said atleast one roller is driven intermittently, only advancing said materialwhen a needle connected to said sewing head is raised out of thematerial.
 8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising acloth shifter for laterally shifting said cut material to said thirdedge folding and positioning unit.
 9. The apparatus as defined in claim8 , wherein said cloth shifter comprises a plurality of conveyor beltspositioned beneath said cut material.
 10. The apparatus as defined inclaim 1 , wherein said third edge folding and positioning unit comprisesat least one folding die that is capable of being suspended above andreleased onto said cut material, and a trailing end folder, wherein,after said folding die has been released onto said material, saidtrailing end folder folds said horizontal edge of said material oversaid folding die.
 11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein saidcloth puller engages and pulls said end of said material a predeterminedlength over a table.
 12. An apparatus for automatically forming a hemmededge on predetermined lengths of fabric, said apparatus comprising: atable for receiving predetermined lengths of fabric; a cloth shifter formoving said fabric across said table; an edge folding unit positioned toreceive an edge of said fabric as said fabric is supported on saidtable, said edge folding unit including an edge folder in operativeassociation with a folding die, wherein when said edge of said fabric isplaced on top of said edge folder, said edge folder is configured tofold said edge of said fabric over said respective folding die; and asewing head located to receive said folded edge of said fabric, saidsewing head for sewing a hem along said edge.
 13. An apparatus asdefined in claim 12 , wherein said edge folding unit is configured tofold the edge of said fabric over said respective folding die all at onetime.
 14. An apparatus as defined in claim 12 , further comprising a hemedge curler positioned after said edge folding unit, wherein said hemedge curler receives said folded edge of said fabric and further curlssaid edge within said fold for forming a doubled back border along saidfabric.
 15. An apparatus is defined in claim 12 , wherein said clothshifter includes at least one moveable conveyor belt.
 16. An apparatusis defined in claim 12 , wherein said edge folder includes a L-shapedmember that moves over an end of said table to fold the edge of saidfabric over said folding die.
 17. An apparatus is defined in claim 12 ,wherein said edge folder has a length that is substantially the samelength as said edge of said fabric.
 18. An apparatus for folding an edgeof a cut piece of material comprising: a table for receiving a cut pieceof material; and an edge folding unit positioned to receive an edge ofsaid cut material placed on said table, said edge folding unit beingconfigured to form a fold along said edge of material, said edge foldingunit comprising an edge folder in operative association with a foldingdie, wherein when said cut material is placed on top of said edgefolder, said edge folder is configured to fold said edge of saidmaterial over said folding die.
 19. An apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein said edge folder is configured to move over said table forfolding said edge of said material.
 20. An apparatus as defined in claim18 , wherein said edge folder has a size sufficient to fold said edge ofmaterial all at once.
 21. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 , whereinsaid folding die is suspended above said table such that said cut pieceof material can be positioned between said table and said folding die.22. An apparatus as defined in claim 18 , further comprising a clothshifter for moving the cut material over said table.
 23. The apparatusas defined in claim 22 , wherein said cloth shifter comprises aplurality of movable belts.
 24. An apparatus is defined in claim 18 ,wherein said edge folder includes an L-shaped member that moves over anend of said table to fold said edge of said fabric over said foldingdie.
 25. An apparatus is defined in claim 18 , further comprising asewing head located to receive said folded edge of said material, saidsewing head for sewing a hem along said edge.
 26. An apparatus isdefined in claim 25 , further comprising a hem edge curler positionedafter said edge folder and prior to said sewing head, wherein said hemedge curler receives said folded edge of said fabric and further curlssaid edge within said fold for forming a doubled back border along saidmaterial.